KINGDA KA

Six Flags Great Adventure

Records are meant to be broken.

Thrill seeker alert: "Six Flags Great Adventure is opening the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster this year." That message from the park says more than enough to attract thousands to cometo the New Jersey theme park for their chance to ride this new thrill machine.

Two years ago, Cedar Point took the record and two year's later Six Flags Great Adventure is breaking it. But, aren't they meant to be broken? That is of course the hope of every thrill seeker whose lifeline is fed by adrenaline. The quest for something bigger and faster never ends.

Forget the hype, this record-breaking roller coaster is something to awe over. First, this roller coaster is nearly half the height of the tallest skyscrapers that reside in neighboring New York City. Second, this baby takes off like a finely tuned Ferrari... or shall I just say "rocket". In just seconds, you'll be flyin' at almost double the posted speed limit of the New Jersey turnpike.

What this equates to is the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka.

Six Flags Great Adventure is spending $25 million to erect this giant for the 2005 season. When it opens passengers will step abord sleek trains lower an over-the-shoulder restraint and then hold on for dear life as Kingda Ka advances forward into the starting position. Using high-tech hydraulic motors this engineering marvel will launch the 18-passenger train from 0 to 128 mph in just under 4 seconds! Impressive

With all of that speed the coaster train then climbs up, well straight up a 456-foot tall steel tower. The climb reaches at points a steep 90-degree angle before it peaks out at 45 stories above the floor below. The view from a top if you'd be given a chance to stop and look would be impressive. But this isn't a observation tower, it's a thrill ride... so with that being said, Kingda Ka skips the view and instead immediately starts a terrifying vertical freefall down 418-feet.

Of course, what drop wouldn't be complete without a twist? Falling at a 90-degree angle the 18 brave souls aboard Kingda Ka are sent into 270-degree spiral twist mid descent. Shooting out of the spiral the train is once again traveling at a rubber searing speed of 100+ miles per hour.

But the ride is not over... with 3,118 feet of steel track there's enough left for one more element. After descending 418-feet the track pulls up, to rise 129-feet into a long elongated bunny hop, that promises to deliver one of the most spectacular moments of airtime on any roller coaster.

First, they break the speed, next they take you to skyscraper heights and finally this monster tries to eject you.